cindy mctee
PAGANINI STOMP
for orchestra
2019
1.5 minutes
Commissioned by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra,
the National Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and the
Orchestre National de Lyon in celebration of
Leonard Slatkin’s 75th Birthday
First performance October 12, 2019
with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
under the baton of Leonard Slatkin
Piccolo
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in Bb
2 Bassoons
4 Horns
2 Trumpets in C
2 Tenor Trombones
Timpani
3 Percussion
Piano
StringsPercussion 1
Metal Plate or Anvil
Large Suspended CymbalPercussion 2
High-HatPercussion 3
Marimba
Paganini Stomp
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PROGRAM NOTE BY LEONARD SLATKIN
In 1996 I gave my final concert as music director of the St. Louis Symphony. For the occasion, we asked the four composers who were in residence during my tenure to write a variation on the famous theme from the 24th Caprice by Niccolò Paganini. Joseph Schwantner, Joan Tower, Donald Erb and Claude Baker each offered a different take on the tune. In addition, William Bolcom and I contributed short interpretations of our own.
Although the idea for several composers to create a single variation intended to be performed alongside other arrangements was new, the original theme is probably the most popular classical music tune to be subjected to various treatments. Indeed, Brahms, Schumann, Lutosławski, Blacher, Rachmaninov and even Andrew Lloyd Webber have all turned to Paganini for inspiration.
As I approached my 75th birthday, it occurred to me that expanding on this idea from 23 years ago would be a nice way to celebrate. I invited five orchestras where I have held a position of artistic leadership to commission five composers with whom I have shared a close collaboration over the course of my career. Specifically, the St. Louis Symphony invited John Corigliano to contribute a new variation, as it was with that orchestra that I first conducted and recorded John’s music. Composer Truman Harris served as second bassoon in the National Symphony and assisted me in orchestrating several works I wrote for that ensemble. Guillaume Connesson was resident composer with the Orchestre National de Lyon during my tenure. Cindy McTee, aka Mrs. Slatkin, was closely associated with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Daniel Slatkin is my son and a composer for motion pictures and television. His variation was commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, one of the most active recording orchestras in the country.
Putting all 11 variations together to form a single piece was not an easy task. I wound up writing an introduction as well as some connective material to cover setup changes in the percussion section. I determined the performance order with an eye toward balancing the serious pieces with the often outrageously humorous ones. I am grateful to the various publishers for allowing their composers to sit next to each other in the same work, and to the commissioning orchestras for supporting the project.
A word about my own variation is in order. When I wrote it in 1996, I tried to take an element of each composer’s style and incorporate it into a finale. With five new authors in the mix, I needed to create additional passages so that all 11 contributors would be represented. Most of this material is intended as a little tribute to my friends who so graciously participated in the celebration of this three-quarters-of-a-century milestone. If you keep in mind that my son writes for film and television, Connesson is French, and Harris is a bassoonist, I think you will catch on.
PROGRAM NOTE BY CINDY MCTEE
The first phrase of Niccolò Paganini’s 24th Caprice ends with an emphatic descending octave which serves to both open and close my variation – well, almost. At Leonard Slatkin’s suggestion, there is a surprise note substitution at the conclusion which is tied to the variation’s title, Paginini Stomp. My variation appropriates several additional fragments from Paganini’s theme, presenting them in an exuberant and playful manner with references to jazz. Happy birthday dear Leonard!